St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-29
rain FELL IN SHEETS
While the Veterans of the War
Paraded the Streets OF
st. Louis,
But Despite the Downpour
There Was a Creditable
Display.
Gen. Fairchild Makes His Re-
port at a Subsequent Bus
mess Meeting.
A Minnesota Man Robbed OF
All His Substance and
Left Destitute.

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 2s.-Last night the
local committee entertained a serious
intention of declaring the march Off, but
the veterans wouldn't have 1t, and word
was sent to headquarters that even ii 1t
rained as it never rained before, there
were enough comrades ready and will
ing to turn out to make a respectable
showing. 1t was after 9 o'clock this
morning, however, before it was finally
decided that the comrades might be per-
mitted to have their way, and aids were
dispatched to the different hotels to an
nounce in stentorian tones that the sig
nal to start would be given at 1880
O'Clock. Then the comrades pro-
ceeded to get into overcoats,
waterproofs, in fact into every
thing in the shape of apparel that
would keep the wet from their i,,-ins.
Every available carriage, buggy, Omni-
bus and vehicles of all descriptions
were impressed into service for the ben
eft of those who from age and lnfirmity
were unable to take their place in the
column and brave the elements. Mean
while the news that the parade would
go on spread in all directions, and great
masses of people gathered on the streets
along the route, while the numerous
stands which had been erected at avail
able points filled UP as if by magic. The
rain kept falling, but the spectators
didn't seem to mind it, although tens of
thousands of them were pretty well
soaked long before the head of the col
umn came into view. The main review
ing stand was located on the east of the
main triumphant arch at Twelfth and
Olive streets, and by 10 o'clock it was
packed with distinguished and notable
company.
THE PARADE.
1t was precisely 10:45 O'Clock when
the booming of the guns in Washington
square gave the signal for the head OF
the procession to start. AT the same
moment came the deluge. The coDtin-
uous rainfall. of the past fifty hours had
been heavy enough, but it was nothing
as compared to the downfall that inau-
gurated the moving of the column. Ii
the flood gates of heaven had been sud-
denly opened after year of drOuth not
much more water could have descended
from the celestial to the earthly sphere.
But the veterans, as we'll as the specta-
tors stood their ground. Commander
in-Chief FairchIid sat erect upon his
horse, grim and determined. ''lt's only
a.
us welcome" he said. when
asked if he would go over the
route, ''and | think it would be hardly
courteous if we failed to acknowledge
the greetings" Then he dug his spurs
into his horse and the parade was in
motion. The cOmmander-in-chief was
at it's head with his mounted escort
twenty yards behind. A special escort
of mounted police, the pick of the st.
Louis department, was in their rear.
Then amidst resounding cheers the head
of the Missouri department came into
view, with John A. Logan post, of St
Louis, and the armed battalion of vii.
cox post, of the same city, as special
escort. For over half an hour the Mis-
sourians held the line of march. There
were the famous Frank 2. Blair and
Ransom posts,
sENERAL HUNDRED STRONG,
and posts from Kansas City, Nevada,
Mexico. Hannibal, Warrensburg and al
most every section in the state. In the
matter of apparel it was an eccentric
looking column. Great coats, rubber
coats, ladies' gossamers, heavy over
coats and army cloaks had been i'm
pressed into service, and umbrellas
were as numerous as the flowers that
bloom in the spring, The Illinois con-
| tingent was close behind the Missouri
ans, and as they marched along looked
| straight ahead, and with firm and
| steady step. A volume of cheers rang
| along from block to block with the ra-
| pidity of a prairie fire. The posts
from Chicago had0 the head of the
| division, with the comrades from Effing-
ham close in the rear. AS the latter
| reached the front of the old court house,
| the rain came down in such binding
hot fhn inc fhni
| banners could scarce be deciphered
! from the sidewalk. But the boys didn't
mind it, they seemed to have been
seized with delirium of delight, and
| the harder it poured the more they
yelled and shrieked and cheered and
waved their hats. Nor were the posts
from Alton, Vandalia, Dwight and
| other sections of Illinois whit less
demonstrative. A delegation of the
First Alabama cavalry, consisting of
three men, acted as
SPECIAL ESCORT
! to the departments of Alaska and Wash
| ington territory. The Indiana depart
ment, which turned out in good
strength, was preceded by, Morton post,
| of Terre Haute. After the IndiananS
and Massachusetts,. with Ohio, Califor-
| mia and Vermont in their rear in the Or
| der designated. All of the strangers
| received the heartieSt of greetings.
| Gov. Larrabee rode at the head of the
| Iowa column and hundred sturdy Ne
braskans whooped it up in great style
as they marched ahead of the
| 300 cowboys from Colorado
and Wyoming. But the crowning
ovation was reserved for the visitors
from the grasshopper regions, who made
| more noise and were in merrier mood
than all the rest of the divisions COM
bined. Every other man had cabbage.
squash, sweet potato, turnip or boar S
head on the point of his cane or unl-
brella, while fully score had fortified
themselves with the biggest unplucked
roosters to be found in the market
| These they waved in the air in the eX-
uberance of their feelings, meanwhile
cheering themselves hoarse in response
to the greetings of the spectators. Some
times half dozen ranks close behind
DIFFERENT WAR SONGS,
and the tumult would be deafening
Fortunately there was space of several
yards between this enthusiastic CON
tingent and the delegation from Michi
gan, which marched four abreast with
solemn dignity. Volleys Of cheers
greeted the New York division, ant
there were hearty manifestations oi
feeling as the delegates from Mime
sofa, Arkansas, Kentucky, Florida anf
Texas marched past. The severa
colored contingents in line were wei
received. A detachment of the Sons o1
Veterans, pnnnted and on foot, brougb